In Every Universe
by commanderdata
Summary: A collection of Data/Tasha ficlets.
1. Chapter 1

"Data, I feel _ridiculous_. Are you sure people used to do this for fun?"

He nods. "I have read that rollerskating was a popular activity among humans in the twentieth century. After a bit of research, I thought perhaps it might make an enjoyable date for us."

Tasha reaches up to give his cheek an affectionate pat, her other arm clinging to the wall rail. "I'm sure it'll be fun, I've just got to figure out how the hell this works."

He proffers an arm and she shakes her head in reply. "I want to see if I can do it by myself, first."

A shrug. "As you wish."

She cautiously lets her hand drop from the rail, stands up straight. "Well, so far so good."

She moves her right foot forward and immediately loses balance, falling right into Data's waiting arms.

"Glad to see you've got a lot of confidence in me," she mumbles.

"Are you sure you do not want my assistance, Tasha?"

The sound of his voice so close to her ear sends that familiar flutter to her stomach, and for a second she almost lets him help her. Then her stubbornness takes hold and she jabs him with her elbow. "I haven't even done anything yet."

He sighs as he sets her back on her feet. "Very well."

"Okay, I can do this. I just need a few minutes get the hang of it," she says, not sure if she's trying to convince herself or Data.

A deep breath. One foot forward. Then the other. It's slow and awkward and she's sure she looks like an idiot, but she begins to make her way around the rink, Data trailing a few feet behind her.

A smile spreads across her face and she laughs excitedly. "Told you I could do it."

"I never doubted you," he replies matter-of-factly.

"Alright, I'm going to try to pick up some speed."

"Tasha, please be care—"

She falls forward and flat on her face.

A few quick strides and Data is at her side, a hand on her shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

"Me? No. My dignity, on the other hand," she breathes.

He pulls her upright and dusts her off. An amused smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he brushes wayward locks of hair from her forehead. "I _did_ attempt to warn you to be careful."

She returns his smile with one of her own. "How did I get so lucky to get a guy like you?"

His head tilts to the right, lips part slightly. "On the contrary," he states, "I believe _I_ am the lucky one."

Tasha leans forward, presses a light kiss to his lips.

That little smile of his returns as he holds out his arm. "Shall we?"

This time she accepts his invitation and they set off at a slow pace, her arms wrapped in a vice-like grip around his.

"I will not let you fall, Tasha."

"I know you won't, Data." Her head falls to rest on his shoulder, she grips his arm a little tighter. "I know you won't."


	2. Chapter 2

She hadn't exactly expected them to beam him back on the Enterprise wearing tights. It had been almost a week since Data had crashed on Barkon IV and she had assumed he'd be a little worse for the wear. But the tights had been a surprise.

"I was worried about you," Tasha admits as they leave sickbay together. "When we couldn't contact you, I thought maybe…" She shrugs.

Data nods. "Your concern is understandable. Although I do not have any memory of my time among the Barkonians, I understand I was considered a danger by many of the villagers."

"Well, we've got you back now. That's all that matters," she says, her hand reaching out to grab his.

They walk in comfortable silence for a few moments before he stops to inspect his clothing with a frown. "I believe I would like to change into my uniform."

"Are you sure? You could always show up for duty wearing that get-up," she teases. "That's a good look for you."

His brow furrows as he shakes his head. "Tasha, I do not believe the Captain would approve if I—"

"Data," she interrupts, "it was a joke."

He considers this for a moment, then nods. "Ah. Quite."

She laughs and gives him a playful shove. "Go change into your uniform, I'll catch up with you later."

Data turns to leave, then stops. He leans in to plant a light kiss on her lips. "I am… glad to be back," he says, a lop-sided smile pulling at his mouth.

"Any chance I can convince you to keep the tights?"

"No," he says, without missing a beat, "I do not think so."


	3. Chapter 3

"I found tonight to be very enjoyable," Data states on the way to his quarters. "I am pleased we have spent much of our off-duty time together of late."

"Yeah, me too," she smiles.

They stop outside his door to say their goodbyes, as has become routine for them. "Thank you for accompanying me to my room," he says.

She waves a dismissive hand. "It's no trouble, really. Plus, it gives us a few extra minutes to talk."

He nods. "That it does."

An awkward silence falls between them and she forces a nervous laugh. "Well, I should probably go get some rest."

"I understand. Goodnight, Tasha."

"Wait," she says, words spilling out before she even has a chance to think, "there's something I've been meaning to say."

His head tilts to the right. "Indeed?"

She takes a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm her pounding heart. Thoughts race as she tries to think of something romantic to say, something to convey how deep her affections for him run.

"I like you," she blurts.

"I like you as well. Our friendship has become quite important to me," he agrees.

"No, no, no," she shakes her head. "I mean I like you," Tasha repeats.

Brows knit together as he frowns. "I do not understand."

A sigh. "What I'm trying to say is…" She huffs in frustration, then reaches out to grab handfuls of his uniform, and brings her lips to crash against his.

For a few long moments he doesn't react. Then his hand finds the small of her back, lips move hesitantly over hers.

She breaks the kiss, already feeling her cheeks begin to burn. "Sorry," she breathes.

"Do not apologize," he whispers. "I believe I understand now."


	4. Chapter 4

Tasha had never seen him this angry. Not even during the incident— that's all it was ever referred to as, 'the incident'— with the Borg and Lore had he shown such fury. Before the emotion chip, he had his own subtle, understated way of showing how he felt. Faint smiles and soft touches and "please do not take any unnecessary risks" before dangerous missions. This blind rage, this raw anger, was so unlike him, and it scared her.

Another piece of lab equipment flies through the air and she ducks, only just missing the bulk of metal thrown from the other side of the room. "Hey!" she calls, "I know you're upset, but ruining all your stuff isn't going to help."

"I will do as I please," Data shouts as he paces furiously back and forth, fists clenched tight. He knocks over a stack of PADDs, shoves a pile of wires to the floor.

"Data, you need to calm down. You don't want to overload your circuitry again."

"Do not tell me to calm down," he rages, jabbing a finger in her direction.

"Data," she takes a cautious step forward, "please talk to me. I can't pretend to understand what you're going through right now, but if you just _talk_ to me, I can help."

"There is nothing you can do, Tasha," he snaps, finally stopping his pacing. "The chip has fused itself to my neural net and I am unable to control any of the emotions I am feeling."

"I know, Data, I know," Tasha sighs, moving closer to him. "I mean that I want to help you get through this, you know, be a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on. That's what I'm here for."

Silence is his only response and she takes another step, only inches from him now. "Look at me," she pleads.

He keeps his eyes firmly locked on the table, refusing to meet hers. A hesitant hand reaches out to grab a balled fist, and she feels him relax slightly. "Hey," she says. "Look at me— just breathe, okay?"

When he finally meets her eyes, she's alarmed to see tears.

"Tasha," he whispers, "I am… afraid."

She wraps her arms around him and holds him close as he begins to sob, whispering comforts in his ear, petting his hair, pressing light kisses to his face.

They stay that way, holding onto each other tightly, well after the sobs have stopped and the tears ceased. Tasha dries his eyes with her sleeve, a reassuring smile on her lips. "We'll get through this Data. Together."


	5. Chapter 5

"Computer, what's the time?"

"The time is twenty-one thirty-three hours."

She brings a fist down to pound the desk with a dull thud. The hearing had begun over two hours ago and still no news yet.

A small part of her, that tiny voice in the back of her head, can't help but wonder if the unthinkable had happened. Maybe they'd shipped him away with Maddox to be taken apart and studied like some sort of lab specimen without so much as a goodbye.

No, the Captain had promised to keep them informed, she reminded herself. If she hadn't heard anything, there was nothing to hear. She rakes her fingers through her hair with a sigh. All this waiting was giving her a headache.

This whole situation made Tasha want to pull her hair out. A decorated Starfleet officer having to fight for basic rights, possibly even his _life_, against the very people who rescued him. Anyone who had met him, talked to him, knew that Data was so much more than just a machine.

'Machine' was such a cold word, so harsh. Nothing like Data. He was warm and optimistic, so child-like with his insatiable curiosity. The fact that Maddox couldn't see _him_, only saw property and opportunity _infuriated_ her. She knew all too well what it was like to be treated as an object, as something that others could exploit.

The sound of her door chime brings her out of her thoughts. She considers ignoring them in favor of sulking by herself. After a quick moment of deliberation, she yells harshly, "Come in."

The soft hiss of the doors sliding open and closed. Then, "Hello, Tasha."

She looks up from the desk and her heart skips a beat. "Data," she says as she jumps from her seat. "Data, I didn't expect— You won, didn't you?" She wrings her hands, then hangs them awkwardly at her sides, wrings them again. "Please tell me you won," she breathes.

A brisk nod. "They decided to rule in my favor. I have formally declined to take part in Commander Maddox's procedure and withdrawn my resignation from Starfleet."

She breathes a sigh of relief, feels a knot in her chest she hadn't even realized was there loosen. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"I, too, am relieved. However," he says, "I would like to apologize to you."

Her brow furrows, a frown pulling at her mouth. "Apologize? What for?"

A moments hesitation, his pale eyes not quite meeting hers.

"During the hearing, Captain Picard called me to the stand for questioning. He asked about the nature of my relationship with you. Although I gave my word that it never happened, I told him we have had intimate relations." His eyes finally come to meet her own. "I broke my promise to you and thus your trust in me. _That_ is why I must apologize to you."

"Oh, Data," she whispers, taking a step closer to him, "Data, if anyone should apologize, it's me. It's just that…" She sighs in frustration, runs a hand through her hair. A deep breath, then, "I value my self-control, Data. That virus left me scared and vulnerable and I took it out on you."

She pauses. "I never apologized for the way I treated you after that, and I should have. I _am_ sorry."

She lays a hand on his arm, a gentle, reassuring touch. "As for my trust in you, I trust you completely," she admits.

And she did, she realized then. Trust did not come easy for her, a trait carried over from her life on Turkana. But she found herself able to put her full trust in him, without reserve, without fear. "I trust you, Data. Never doubt that."

A tilt of the head. "You are not upset that I did not keep my word?"

She squeezes his arm with a light touch and gives him a lopsided grin. "Of course not. You won the hearing, you're not leaving the ship, no way I'm upset. I'm just glad you're here, I— I'm so happy I could kiss you."

The words fall out before she can catch herself. She freezes. Her eyes widen as the realization of what she's said sinks in, her cheeks burn red hot. "What I mean is—"

"You may do so." A pause, then he adds with haste, "If you wish, that is."

Her heart stops. Several seconds pass before she manages to catch a breath. She takes a step forward, closing the already slight distance separating them.

Her hand traces up his arm to his shoulder, then to cup his cheek, all the while the inches separating her lips from his continue to shrink. Her heart pounds in her chest as if desperate to make up the beats it missed moments ago.

His eyes lock on hers and she notices for the first time that they really are a lovely color, inhuman as they are.

She closes the last distance between them, bringing her lips to brush his, a feather's touch. Again, longer, more heated this time, losing herself in the feel of his soft but strong lips pressed against hers. She breaks the kiss, pulls away slowly, her thumb stroking delicate circles over his cheek.

"You have become… important to me, Tasha," he says in hushed tones, and her breath catches in her throat.

This time his mouth seeks out hers and she lets out a small gasp in surprise. Her fingers tangle in his hair and her other arm snakes around to the small of his back to pull him tight against her.

He brings a hand to the nape of her neck, careful to keep his touch as tender as he had during their night together. The warmth of his mouth moving over hers and his soft touch sends a flutter to her stomach and a shudder down her spine.

Just as she's about to move her hand down to the clasp at the front of his uniform, Data's communicator chirps. She growls in annoyance, frowns against his lips.

"La Forge to Data."

He breaks the kiss, pulls away slightly, and taps his comm badge. "Data here."

"Are you busy, Data?"

He hesitates. "I am… occupied at present, yes."

"Well, whatever it is can wait. Counselor Troi and I are setting up a little celebration down on the holodeck for the senior staff. We want you down here so we can kick this party off."

"Very well, I will be there shortly. Data out." He taps his badge to end the call. "Would you care to accompany me to the holodeck?" he asks.

She brushes a knuckle down his cheek, and a faint smile comes over her lips. "Yeah, I'd like that."

He steps away and gestures toward the door. "After you."

She laughs, a bright, pleasant sound, and Data cocks his head as he follows her out of her quarters and down the hall to the turbo lift.

"What is it that you find amusing?"

"You," she says. "Even after what just happened back there in my room, you're still as formal as ever." She throws him a mischievous grin. "You're cute when you do that."

His eyebrows jump so far up his forehead she thinks for a moment that they might fly off. "No one has ever referred to me as cute before."

She gives him a playful shove. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

He nods, apparently satisfied with her answer, and follows her into the lift. "Deck ten." As the doors slide shut, he turns to look at her, opens his mouth as if to speak, then snaps it shut.

In an instant, that lips parted, head tilted expression she finds so endearing comes over his face. He reaches out to take her hand in his and lace their fingers together.

"Many years ago, I observed that humans join hands to convey their affection for those who are… important to them."

That same flutter in her stomach returns and Tasha can't help the grin that spreads across her face. She calls out a halt and turns to face him as the turbo lift slides to a stop.

"You're important to me, too, Data," she confesses. "I care about you so much and I think about you all the time and…" She shakes her head. "For a while I thought it was just a temporary thing and I'd get over it, but I've had a lot of time to think about it these past couple days. I don't think it's just a silly crush. I think I've got real, strong feelings for you."

"Tasha," he whispers, a note of sadness coloring his voice that makes her heart clench, "you know that I am not capable of emotions."

"I know, I know, I just—" she sighs, letting go of his hand to scrub hers over her face. "I'm sorry," Tasha says after a moment. "I put you in a pretty difficult position there, I just— just needed you to know how I feel."

"Apologies are not necessary. I am… grateful that you have revealed your feelings to me. I have had several human friends, but never has anyone professed romantic sentiment toward me." He falls silent for a moment, his brows scrunch together and he frowns, deep in thought.

"I, too, find that you occupy my thoughts at a frequent rate. Your well-being is of great importance to me and I find myself quite concerned with your emotional well-being as well." His head tilts to the right, then, "Is that not similar to what you have confessed feeling about me?"

She can't help the toothy grin that spreads ear to ear across her face. "I suppose you're right, Data." He mirrors her grin with a pleased smile of his own.

"Data?"

"Yes, Tasha?"

She takes a deep, steadying breath. "I know you're not able to feel love the same way humans do, but I think you feel it in your own way." She pulls at her ear, hit by a sudden wave of self-consciousness. "I don't know if I'm making any sense, but what I'm _trying_ to say is, I want to give us a shot. At a romantic relationship, that is. If you're up for it."

His eyes widen and he smiles his parted lip smile. "I would be most pleased to embark upon a romantic relationship with you."

Tasha's stomach does a flip and her pulse quickens as she reaches out to grab his hand again.

He flicks his gaze down to their joined hands, that amused smile still playing on his lips. "What do you suggest we do now?"

"Well, right now, we've got a party to go to. I bet they're wondering if we got lost on the way down."

"They can always ask the computer for our locations if they believe we have lost our way."

"It was a joke, Data."

His eyebrows knit together and he considers this for a moment. "Ah. Indeed."

She commands the lift to resume and gives him a light bump with her shoulder. "What do you say we call this our first date?"

"Date?"

"Well, it's where two people who like each other… spend time together. Do things they like to do together," she explains.

He nods in understanding. "I find that quite agreeable."

She laughs. "Then it's a date."


End file.
